Life Force
by NCIS Obsession
Summary: [The Rise of Skywalker SPOILERS] The force was not ready for the Skywalker bloodline to end. As Rey stands before the twin sunset of Tatooine, a special visitor stops by that reignites her hope for the future. A fix-it fanfic that wouldn't get out of my head.


**[STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER SPOILERS AHEAD]**

**Not to be emotional about Star Wars on main, but…**

**Never have I ever written a Star Wars fanfic, but as I left the theater today, I kept saying to myself, "It's okay, I can fix this… I can fix it…" So I did. This is just a short fix-it fanfic that takes place right after **_**The Rise of Skywalker**_** ends, and it is how I choose to believe things happen once the credits roll.**

**This may seem a little out there, but when Ben placed his hand on Rey's stomach and transferred his life force to her, this is all I could think of. And the only way to get it out of my brain was to write a fanfic about it.**

**If you don't like Reylo, don't read it. And if its in any way inaccurate to the way that the Force works, maybe just suspend your disbelief for a bit. I've never written Star Wars before.**

**Enjoy!**

**-.-.-**

It was all quite poetic, really.

Here was where it all began. On another dumb desert planet called Tatooine. Although, if Rey was being honest, this place seemed much better than her home planet of Jakku.

As the twin suns began to set, Rey reflected on the past few years of her life. All the friends she had made. Or perhaps she should call them family. By now, that was what they were, right?

Even with all the happiness that came with finally defeating the First Order, and along with it, the Sith, Rey couldn't help but mourn the loss of one who had given everything so that she could live. One whose thoughts and feelings she could actually feel, bringing a much deeper connection than she'd ever had with another person.

And now he was dead. So many years of his life were spent in suffering, a victim of the lies of the former Emperor Palpatine. And just as soon as he was redeemed, he was gone. Faded into the Force, like Luke, Leia, and so many others who had gone before her.

It wasn't fair. And to think, for a moment, Rey had seen a glimpse of the future. That smile which had brightened Ben Solo's face should have gone on forever. She had envisioned a family, a child, and Ben right there by her side. Between them all, balance. Harmony. Perfection. Things as they should be.

But she knew that now, those dreams had to be laid to rest. So, with an air of finality, Rey buried the lightsabers that she and Ben had fought with in the sands of Tatooine. Her new one, indicative of her status as a Gray Jedi, rested at her side as she stared off into the distance, knowing all too well what lay beyond the horizon, through the clouds, and among the stars.

After everything, she was content with keeping her feet on the ground for a while. She needed time to come to terms with all that had happened, and who she would be going forward. So as these thoughts filled her mind, Rey sat in the sand, closed her eyes, and reached out to the Force.

That was when she felt it. A familiar presence.

"Rey."

The voice was soft, so quiet it was little more than a whisper. Did she dare hope it was him?

"Rey," the voice called again from somewhere behind her. Louder this time. Desperate.

She knew that voice. She could sense his emotions, shared with her through the Force as they had been many times before.

Slowly, Rey opened her eyes and spun around to find the source of the voice. And there he was, standing near the entrance to the dwelling where Luke Skywalker had grown up.

"Ben!" She called out, scrambling to her feet and rushing toward him. He stepped forward too, a soft blue glow emanating around him. He looked healthier, cleaner, and—well—happier. His inky black robes were gone, replaced by clothing reminiscent of his father and his uncle. This was Ben Solo, free from the darkness of Kylo Ren.

As Rey ran up, however, Ben took a step back. Worry replaced the relief in his eyes. Rey stopped short of throwing herself into his arms, finally noticing his obvious lack of a corporeal form.

With shaking hands, Rey hesitantly reached toward Ben. He could feel her heart beating rapidly, almost like a soft thrumming of the Force. He closed his eyes in anticipation, Rey could hardly breathe, wishing she could feel his touch just one last time. Hoping beyond all hope that this spiritual form was more than just a ghostly apparition.

And then she felt it. Her soft fingers met his skin, and she nearly let out a sob of relief. He opened his eyes to look up at her, eyebrows furrowing with an emotion that they both felt but could not voice aloud.

"You're here," Rey whispered, laughing softly.

Ben couldn't help the smile that came across his face. "I am."

Rey pulled Ben to her as the tears began to flow, clutching him tightly in an embrace which he quickly returned. His hand came up to cradle the back of her head, holding her tightly as the sobs wracked her body. Ben swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling his own eyes beginning to water.

After what felt like hours of standing there in the sands of Tatooine, the twin suns setting behind them, Rey finally pulled back from the hug. "You saved me," she breathed, looking up at Ben with those soft doe eyes that he had been captivated by from the beginning.

A watery smile played on his face as he reached out to wipe away Rey's tears. "The galaxy needed _you_, Rey."

Rey bowed her head, smiling through her tears. "How are you here?" she finally asked, unable to take her hands off his shoulders and his face, as if she needed a constant reminder that he was really there.

Ben smiled down at her. "Our bond is stronger than you know. Even death cannot sever it," he replied.

Not more than a second passed after his response before Rey jumped back into his arms and pressed her lips to his, something she thought she would never get to do again. Ben lifted her to his height, reveling in the moment before setting her back down onto solid earth.

"There is something you must know, Rey," Ben said seriously after a moment of breathing in the air around them. "Something about my past, and your future. That is why I am here."

Concern flashed across Rey's face, but it did not settle there for long. Nothing in the universe could overpower the sheer happiness she was feeling in this moment. Even if he was leaving soon, she would enjoy these seconds with him by her side.

"You can tell me," she encouraged him, seeing the hesitance on Ben's face.

Ben took Rey's hand and led her to a nearby rock where they sat facing the setting suns. He was silent a moment longer before he began his story with a sigh.

"My grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, had no father," he began. "He was born of the force. The force, and a woman. That is why the Force is so strong with me and my family. We are descended from the Force, and it flows through us."

Rey nodded along, unsure of where this conversation was headed. Years, or even months ago, this story might have sounded crazy, but she could feel that it was true. And honestly, crazier things have happened lately. The Force was a mysterious thing.

Ben turned his gaze to Rey, gauging her reaction before continuing. He could tell she was trying to understand, and that was probably as good as it was going to get for now. Even Ben had not known of this before becoming a Force Ghost. It was another strange element of the Force that was not widely known. Just like this connection he shared with Rey.

The next part of the story was not easy to say. Rey could be angry. She might not see that he had no choice. Their bond was unusual, and he had not known that it worked in this way either. But he had made the decision to save her, and there was no turning back now. The consequences were as the Force intended them, and all he could do was hope that Rey would understand.

"Rey," Ben turned away, avoiding her eyes. "When I transferred my entire life force to you, I fear something similar happened."

No one said anything for several moments, and Ben purposely blocked off his connection to Rey's thoughts, too afraid to listen in on what she might be thinking.

Rey thought back to that moment when she had awoken in Ben's arms. His hand rested on her stomach, and she felt the life rejuvenating her energy even as it was drained from his. His soft smile, a silent promise that everything would be okay. A sigh of relief knowing Ben Solo was redeemed at last, just as she knew he would be. It all made sense.

As time ticked on with Rey processing this new information, Ben seemed to be vibrating with anxiousness. He snuck a few quick glances in her direction before abruptly standing and walking off toward the horizon. He couldn't take another moment of her silence. He had just wanted to do the right thing by telling her.

"Ben, wait!" Rey called as she leapt to her feet and followed. He swiveled around, frozen in place as she determinedly strode toward him.

"I'm sorry," he spoke, dreading whatever response may come. "But Rey, I couldn't have lived if you had died. It was the only way to save you. I'm sorry."

She came to a stop a few feet away from him, careful not to scare him away. "It's alright," she assured him, taking a deep breath and steadying her own nerves. "We can figure this out. I know why you did it, Ben. I can't blame you for saving my life."

Ben cringed at her calm demeanor in this very frightening circumstance. "Yes, but I wish there was another way. Any other way I could have saved you and not left you with this… burden."

Rey took another step closer, smiling gently and reaching for his hand. "I only wish there was a way for you to have lived too, so you could stay here forever. I know you cannot stay." She thought back to Luke and Leia, whose Force Ghosts could make an appearance, but never remain in one place for too long. Only as long as they were needed.

Ben could not believe how understanding she was being. Rey was fearless, he knew this, but this was an entirely different kind of fear. Somehow, she was still standing strong. As she pulled him closer, he entwined his fingers with hers, looking down at their joined hands.

"That's where you're wrong."

Rey looked up at him, confusion playing on her face.

"I am tied to you, though my soul has left this realm," Ben explained. "While you live, my time here is endless. Our connection allows me to maintain this form indefinitely."

"What does that mean?" Rey asked, daring to hope.

Ben placed his hands on her shoulders. "It means I can be here, with you, Rey. And I _will_ stay by your side, if you'll have me."

Ben's hands dropped to his sides as Rey seemed to contemplate his offer.

"All those years, living alone on Jakku, all I ever wanted was a family..." She stole another glance at Ben's softened eyes, the love he had for her evident within them. "Stay with me, Ben," she whispered.

As she spoke, she extended her hand toward him, offering it to him one last time. And this time, he took it. True happiness washed over him for the first time in so long, untinged by sadness and anxiety. As their hands met, Ben felt himself becoming more corporeal. He still radiated faint blue light, but it was as if the Force itself had infused him with life and given him back his physical form.

Rey laughed joyously as he inspected his new image. He really was there, so long as their connection stayed strong.

He kissed her again, this time with more passion as he allowed his happiness to take over. Every worry in the world was forgotten. All that remained was Rey, and the life he had unintentionally instilled within her through the Force, that would one day become their child.

Maybe the vision Rey had entertained of the future was not so wrong after all. She would never tire from seeing the look of pure joy on Ben Solo's face, and the love she knew he felt for her. Though his life was technically gone, given to her as his final sacrifice, they would live on together, beginning a new order of Jedi trained to appreciate the balance of light and dark that existed throughout all things.

And never again would the balance be upset. For as long as the legacy of Ben and Rey Skywalker lived on, the universe would remain exactly as it should be.

**-.-.-**

**Yeah, that wasn't as well-written as I would have liked. It was much more satisfying in my head. But I have a headache and I'm too emotional to write this really in-depth and potentially multiple chapters long. If anyone wants to rescue (what I think is) a cool story idea, please steal it. Just tell me when you write it because I want to read it so badly. I just thought it would be nice if the Skywalker line didn't, you know, come to a tragic end. And Ben placing his hand on Rey's stomach and giving her his life force was just *sobs* so gentle and sweet. I'm crying y'all. **

**What if their connection is so strong that he stays tethered to her even as a force ghost? And sometimes force ghosts can interact with the material world, as we have seen before, so is this really that unbelievable? They can chat, they can still be in love, right? IDK, but I'm suspending my disbelief to just enjoy this headcanon of a happily ever after for Reylo.**

**I honestly loved this movie, aside from Ben fading away, although that was admittedly a decent way to go. He really did finish what Anakin started by saving the one he loves by using the Force.**

**Okay, man, I gotta go. I need to read every fix-it-fanfic ever written before I combust.**

**(To my NCIS fanfiction followers, I have something else in the works for NCIS, I promise. I just might have literally exploded if I didn't try my hand at writing this.)**

**Please leave a review if you want! Since this was just a super quick outlet for all my feelings, I'm not really looking for criticism. But do what you want. I can't stop you.**

**I have nothing else to say but *sniffles* *cries* *sobs* I love Star Wars.**


End file.
